Ratchet & Clank Future: The White Tigress
by The Cyber Hyena
Summary: A new evil threatens the universe – an ancient, powerful evil, and this time it'll take more than big guns to stop it. Ratchet and Clank will have to call upon the forces that created the universe itself in order to save it from destruction...with the help of a most unexpected friend. Rewrite of an old fic and first in my Shadows of Time trilogy. Rated T for violence/language.
1. Chapter 1: Pursuit

_**Please take the time to read this author's note in its entirety!**_

 _I had previously written this piece on another account (if I remember right, the name of it was Hyena With A Pen). However, due to the fact that I haven't been active on that account in years, I decided it was time for a fresh start. Thus, I deleted everything from my old account, including the previous version of this story, and have decided to rewrite this entirely. I feel I have grown as an artist/writer, and therefor can do this more justice than I did five or six years ago._

 _That being said, thank you so much for taking the time to click here and read this fic! I will update as often as I can, although it may be slightly sporadic due to personal and work life coming first, so please be patient. Enjoy, friends!_

 _Love always,  
_ _~The Cyber Hyena_

Time is relative. What is a matter of hours on one planet could be months or even years on another. No two planets experience time the exact same way. Time only bears significance to those who care to observe its flow.

In the vacuum of space, time is even less significant. Seconds, minutes, hours, all lost in an ever-expanding ocean of the cosmos. There was no way of knowing exactly how long the Lombax, Ratchet, and his robot companion, Clank, had been wandering through the stars. It felt like an eternity, but for all either one of them knew, it had only been a few minutes. The two of them had just left the Great Clock, and Ratchet had assured his partner he knew exactly where he was going, but Clank felt otherwise.

After a while, the little robot turned to face Ratchet and asked, "Are you sure you know where you are going?"

In response, Ratchet simply chuckled and said, "I've told you a hundred times, I know exactly where we're going..." As Clank turned back toward the window to gaze at a passing comet, Ratchet lowered his gaze and muttered under his breath, "I think..."

Clank sighed and said, "You know, we can always stop and ask someone for directions."

"Even if we needed to, there's no one around to actually ask. We passed the last space depot a while ago." He was right. It seemed for the moment, they were wandering aimlessly through deep space. Not another soul was to be found anywhere near their location. At this point, Clank had begun to worry – it was only a matter of time before they ran out of fuel and would be at the mercy of fate to send a passing ship their way, and even then it could be a dicy situation."Don't worry so much, buddy. This is just...a...scenic route, that's all."

"Where is it we are even trying to go anyway?"

The Lombax fell silent. Admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure. Should they go back to the Apogee Space Station, to Talwyn and her warbot companions? Should they return to Kerwan and try to maintain their normal lives, or at least as normal as two intergalactic heroes could have? He still had a lot to process, after what had happened with the Cragmites and Tachyon, and then what happened at the Great Clock. He wanted to try to find a way to reach the rest of his kind – there had to have been another way, somehow – but he knew their friends would begin to worry if they didn't hear from the them soon.

Finally, he sighed and admitted, "I'm not sure, pal. I...I got a lot to think about right now, and..."

As Ratchet's voice trailed off, Clank simply nodded and said, "I understand." Ratchet turned his attention to him and smiled softly. "Thanks, Clank," he said, his voice just barely louder than a whisper. "You just take it easy. Maybe power down and recharge for a little bit. I'll figure something out, okay?"

"Alright," Clank said, nodding as Ratchet turned his attention forward once again. Staring out at the stars as they passed by, the robot's eyes slowly shut. Eventually, he slipped off to sleep.

 _When Clank's eyes fluttered open, he looked around, finding himself in an infinite abyss. In the darkness, he couldn't even tell for certain if his feet were touching ground or if he were somehow suspended in the air. He looked around, calmly at first, for there was a certain sense of ease in the air, but there was also a hint of uncertainty and fear that eventually caused him to look frantically around. He called out for anyone to hear him, but the only response was the echo of his own voice. After a few minutes of this, he fell silent. If he had a heart, it would be pounding rapidly in his chest._

 _Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind him, and he felt a familiar presence. He turned around to find one of the Zoni floating before him. "Hello," he said simply as the creature slowly approached. As it drew closer to him, another appeared, and another shortly after that. The three slowly drifted in a circle around him as they spoke to him._

 _"Sire is in danger!" they collectively said, they voices marked with an unusual tone of urgency. "You must find her!"_

 _His gaze rapidly switched between the three in his confusion. "What?" He gasped. "Who must I find?"_

 _"The Tigress." As they spoke the mysterious name, the glow of their bodies intensified. "Find the Tigress! Only she can help you!" They progressively began circling him faster as they spoke to him._

 _"But I do not know this 'Tigress.' How am I supposed to find her?"_

 _"Travel to the jungle at the edge of Phylax," the three said as they slowly rose into the air, still circling around him. "You will find her in the wilds there." The glow of their bodies grew brighter still, soon engulfing him in blinding light._

 _"Wait! Please!" Clank begged, shielding his eyes. "I need to know more!"_

 _As the vision faded, their voices echoed through his head._

Find the Tigress.

Find the Tigress...

"Get off my tail already!" Clank heard Ratchet snarl as he was jolted awake by a shocking blow to Aphelion. He looked around bewilderedly. Somewhere along the line, they had traveled back into one of the sectors of the Breegus System, although he couldn't tell exactly where they were, as the ship was moving too fast for him to get a good view of any landmarks. He snapped his attention to Ratchet, his teeth bared as he maneuvered the ship. "Ratchet!" the robot exclaimed.

The Lombax's ears flicked as he heard his friend speak. "Oh, uh..." he stammered, glancing at him for a brief moment. "...Hey, buddy! You, uh...you have a nice little catnap?" He smiled nervously.

"What is going on?"

Ratchet was about to speak again, but just as he opened his mouth, the ship lurched forward from another blast. "Uh...yeah, we ran into a small bit of trouble here..." the Lombax said, his voice shaking slightly. Clank crossed his arms, silently demanding further explanation from his partner. "I've been trying to shake these guys for a while now, and they just won't let up! I don't even know who the heck they are or what they want!"

Right on cue, a transmission crackled over the radio. A gruff, guttural voice snarled over the comm unit. "Attention starship signature 3371-Alpha! Surrender immediately! Disclose the location of the White Tigress, or be cast to the depths of space!"

"The...What?" Ratchet stammered. "Look, I don't know who you are, but we don't know any 'White Tigress!'"

Another shot struck the ship, and Ratchet cursed as the ship lurched forward. "Our bioscan reveals one Lombax life form on board your ship! This is your final chance – surrender the Tigress or die!"

 _The Tigress?_ Clank remembered the Zoni mentioning this name to him in his dream just minutes before. He looked back at Ratchet and said quietly, "I know that name." Ratchet instantly snapped his attention to his partner. "Ratchet, the Zoni came to me. They told me that we have to find someone known as 'the Tigress.'"

"And when was this exactly?"

The robot paused for a moment, then explained, "When I was asleep just now. They came to me in a dream... Or...in a vision... I cannot be sure exactly..."

"So you're going off pure speculation there?" Clank nodded slightly – when he thought about it, it did sound almost insane. "Then again, the Zoni mentioning it, and now these psychos... That's way too convenient to be a coincidence. There's got to be something there. Did they mention where we could find this 'Tigress?'"

"They only mentioned 'the jungle at the edge of Phylax.'"

"That's got to mean Quantos..." Ratchet muttered. "Lucky for us, it's nearby." Ratchet then smiled confidently, then sharply turned the ship around, diving underneath the black triangular warship tailing them. In the distance, the two could see the blue and green surface of the planet Quantos. Ratchet then initiated the hyperdrive, rocketing them toward the planet.

"Wrong choice, Lombax!" the pilot of the warship growled. Ratchet growled, determined to reach the planet before their pursuers could catch them. The warship behind them was considerably slower – however, what the ship lacked in speed it more than made up for in firing range. As they reached the atmosphere of the planet, the warship far behind them, another round of plasma blasts was fired at them, hitting Aphelion directly in the thrusters and all but disabling all systems of the ship. Every screen, button, and light inside flickered and dimmed, and the engines sputtered and died out.

"Aphelion, no!" Ratchet tried restarting the ship, but to no avail. Try as he might, the ship was completely unresponsive. Without any thruster power and the landing flaps offline, the two plummeted toward the planet's surface. "Damn!" He turned to face Clank, grabbing him and securing him to his back as they drew ever closer to the ground below. "Get ready to jump, pal!" Clank prepared to launch the helipack to land the two safely. Omniwrench in hand, Ratchet swiftly pried open the ship's hatch and leapt from the cockpit, the robot immediately starting his propellers.

The two watched as the ship fell to the ground in a ball of fire, a tower of black smoke and fire erupting from the twisted metal frame. They landed softly on the ground not far from where the ship had crashed. Ratchet watched her burn, ears dropping against the back of his head. "What are we going to do now?" he sighed. "How are we supposed to get around?"

"Uh... Ratchet?" The Lombax turned to face Clank. "I think we have bigger problems at the moment..." He furrowed his brow, then heard the roar of several starcruisers.

"They must've come from the warship," Ratchet growled, ears flattening as he crouched against a nearby tree. "We can't stay here. We've got to get out of here." After making sure Clank was still secured to his back, he slipped into the thick foliage of the jungle, moving swiftly through the bushes and undergrowth. As they pushed through the jungle, they could hear the starcruisers land and the growls and snarls of whatever was piloting them.

"Ratchet?" Clank asked as the Lombax ran. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Not really sure," he replied, panting. "But anywhere's better than here at this point. And if the Zoni are right, then this Tigress these guys are looking for is somewhere in these jungles."

"But we cannot be certain exactly where. For all we know, the Tigress is on the other side of the planet."

"I know...but we've got to try."

As they continued onward, Ratchet could swear he felt the gaze of someone watching them through the trees...following them...

The two wandered for hours with no sign of the mysterious White Tigress. They stopped in a small clearing to rest for the night, setting up camp near a gently flowing river. Not far from where they were was a cliff overlooking a lush, fertile valley where the river flowed into a placid lake. Massive hills covered in jungle overgrowth towered in the distance, filtering the golden rays of the sun as the sunset painted the sky every shade of pastel reds, oranges, and yellows, giving the sparse clouds in the sky an almost watercolored feel to them.

Ratchet had started a decent-sized fire to keep the two of them warm throughout the night. The flames offered some comfort to him, but it had been so long since he had been without a ship or his weapons, and he'd never had to rely on nature to provide for him. He hoped this wouldn't last long, and that somehow he'd get Aphelion back. He stared deeply into the red-orange flames, gripping his Omniwrench tightly in one hand as he became lost in his thoughts.

Clank walked slowly up to him and sat down beside him, looking concerned at him. Gently, he placed a hand on his partner's shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly and look back over at him. "Are you okay, Ratchet?" he asked.

He nodded in response. "Just..." he sighed. "...thinking. Did the Zoni happen to mention any actual details about the Tigress we're supposed to find?"

"No, I am afraid not," Clank replied, shaking his head. "The Zoni do tend to be somewhat...cryptic."

He had enough personal experience to know this was very true. But at the same time, he had also learned the hard way to never doubt Clank when he relayed messages to him from the Zoni. Cryptic or not, they would have to find the Tigress, if only to find out why they had been directed to do so. "What about why?" Ratchet asked. "Did they say why?"

"The only thing they said was that only she can help us. They did not say why we need her help."

Ratchet sighed, nodding and turning his gaze back to the fire and the sunset past it. "Yeah... Kinda figured that much. I got a feeling it's going to be a long night, pal." Clank tilted his head. He found himself concerned about his partner. He seemed more nervous than he usually was, though he would never willingly show it nor admit it. Ratchet once again looked down at the robot, forcing a small smile. "We'll be alright, though. You know that, right?" Clank nodded, unsure if he was saying that to assure him or for his own comfort and peace of mind. "Try to get some rest, okay? We're going to have to cover a lot of ground come morning. I'll keep an eye out for any trouble." Reluctantly, Clank lay down on his side next to his partner and shut his eyes, forcing himself to shut down and recharge for a while.

Once Ratchet was sure the robot was asleep, he turned his attention back to the cliff, watching the sunset. As his surroundings grew darker and the creatures of the night slowly came to life, his nerves grew more and more tense. With nothing more than his wrench and his own agility and wit to rely on, the two were sitting ducks for their pursuers and any number of predators that lurked the jungles at night. His ears flicked and his eyes darted at every sound that pierced the darkness, but he managed to keep calm while remaining vigilant.

Not long after nightfall, however, something caught his attention. Something rustled in the bushes at the edge of the clearing. A dimly-glowing cyan light could be seen through the leaves and vines. Baring his teeth, he slowly got to his feet, holding the Omniwrench defensively out in front of him. As the rustling came closer, he saw a dark, slender shape manifest in the shadows – a thin body with long, agile limbs, a lengthy tail with a large tuft of fur at the end, and what appeared to be a pair of large wings sprouting from its back. Crowning its head was what looked like a pair of thick spiked horns. Through the darkness, he could hear the slightest growl, almost as that of a beast stalking its prey.

He gripped the wrench tighter and gritted his teeth, preparing to attack.

 _Those of you who read the previous version of this story may notice some significant differences. Again, I'm rewriting the entire thing, not simply copy/pasting from the old document, so bear that in mind as we move forward with this and any future pieces._

 _Thanks again for stopping by and reading! If you've made it this far, congratulations! You get confetti, an invisible cookie, and a free hyena hug! (^w^)_

 _See you all next time!_

 _Love always,  
~The Cyber Hyena_


	2. Chapter 2: A New Ally

For a long moment, Ratchet stood completely still, watching the creature in the shadows carefully. It didn't move, and the only sound it made was the soft growl – as he listened, he couldn't tell if it was meant to be threatening or calming. Either way, he knew he had to think and, more importantly, act. The way he saw it, he had three options. He could either grab Clank and make a run for it, but risk the creature chasing them; wait and see what it would do if anything, but again, risk an attack from it; or he could take the first strike and hope beyond hope that it would be enough to either disorient it enough for them to get away or kill it.

He decided to strike. Moving swiftly, he leapt forward and swung his wrench downward, aiming at the creature's head.

But just as he was about to hit his mark, something blocked the strike – a long, narrow blade, made of a glowing blue crystal. The collision caused a loud clang and a shower of sparks. The creature in front of him grunted in the recoil. He gasped in surprise, pressing his wrench hard against the blade in an attempt to overpower the wielder. For a moment, he glared forward, growling at the creature before him. A moment later, though, he noticed something – piercing the darkness was a pair of striking bright blue eyes. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something eerily familiar about those eyes.

"Alright, back up, chief!" growled a strong female voice. He gasped again, and was immediately knocked away by the sword blocking his strike. He dug his heels into the dirt, easing himself to a halt from the blow, and glared forward once again. The creature had stood completely upright, and gripped the blade in its right hand. Slowly, it stepped forward into the moonlight and glow from the fire. His ears stood straight up in shock – he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Standing before him was a female Lombax, roughly the same age as him and a few inches shorter. Her build was slender and graceful. She wore what seemed to be a set of black custom-built armor – the top half lacked a shoulder piece on the left side and ended at the midriff. The right shoulder was simply a thick strap keeping it secured to her body. On the right side of the chest piece was a bright blue insignia in the shape of a stylized silhouette of a Lombax's head. Sprouting from the back of her shoulders was a pair of massive wing-like stabilizers, bearing two layers of metal made to look like large feathers, and at the base of each wing was a small but powerful jet engine. She wore a matching pair of gloves, and the right one had a small glowing blue button on it. Around her neck was a small glass teardrop-shaped bead filled with some kind of shimmering light blue liquid, hanging from a hemp string. The bottom half was tight fitting, ending at the knee, and covered half of her tail as well. Her fur was completely white, except for the thin stripes on her ears, cheeks, arms, sides, legs, and tail. Her bright blue eyes were also surrounded by black fur, and black streaks trailed from the inner corners of her eyes down to her muzzle. The fur on the lobes of her ears was particularly long, giving her the appearance of having spiked horns like he had initially thought. She had long, pure white hair that reached down to the base of her tail.

She nonchalantly sheathed her sword at her left hip and smiled softly at him. "Is that any way to greet a lady?" she chuckled. Still speechless, Ratchet finally stood upright, still a little tense but not nearly as much as he had been a moment ago. She smirked in response. "Well? You gonna say something or just stand there like a stump?"

"Sorry, I..." he began. "I'm just a little confused, I guess... Are you a Lombax...?"

"Are you?" she snickered, motioning to him. He looked himself over for a second, then returned his attention to her. "The answer to both questions, genius, is yes." She laughed as she stepped toward him, causing him to hold his wrench out in front of him again. She raised a hand and said, "Ease up, buddy. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already." She placed a hand on the wrench, lowering it a little. "Trust me. I know that's probably hard for you to do...but judging by the looks of you and your little friend there, you don't have much of a choice."

He glared at her for a moment, then sighed and lowered his weapon. "Alright, fine..." he said quietly.

"There's a good boy." She smiled and winked. "Now, how about you wake up the little guy and we can get you two out of the dark and away from the things that go bump in the night." He nodded slightly and walked over to where Clank still lay sleeping.

"Clank," he said, shaking his shoulder a little. "Wake up, buddy." The robot stirred, shaking his head slightly as he woke up. "Wake up, we got to get going."

"Ratchet?" Clank said, blinking. "It is still dark out. Why are we leaving already?"

"So the ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties don't get you," the mysterious Lombax said, spreading dirt over the fire to put it out. Clank jumped back when he saw her. "Come on, man!" she sighed. "You act like you've never seen a Lombax before! Now get up and follow me. It's not safe out here, especially at night. Gods only know what's prowling around this place."

After making sure the fire had died, Ratchet secured Clank to his back and followed the female Lombax into the jungle. For a long while, they were quiet – every now and then he glanced at her, still in disbelief, but neither of them spoke. After a while, Ratchet finally said, "You have no idea how many questions I have for you."

"She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Yeah, I'd imagine so," she replied. "But maybe we should save that for when we get to safety? I promise you it's not far. We're already almost there."

"We are?"

"Yup. It's just over that hill there." She pointed ahead. As he looked forward again, she jogged up to the top of the hill and motioned for him to join her. "Come on!" He glanced back at Clank, then quickened his pace and stopped at her side, looking down at the clearing below the hill.

Beneath them was a large clearing in the woods where a wide river flowed through. The branches of the trees surrounding the clearing reached out across it, forming a canopy where shafts of moonlight poured in between the leaves. Not far from the riverbank was a decent-sized stone cottage with a black shingled roof. Smoke billowed from the chimney, indicating a warm fire inside. Near the door was a small glowing blue crystal mounted on the wall. In the yard to the right of the door was a large space of plowed land where sprouts of various fruits, vegetables, and herbs grew. On the river, there was a dock with two purple crystal spires at the end acting as lights, and there was a small wooden chair with a fishing pole sitting on it and a bucket next to it. Sitting near the side of the house opposite the river was a Lombaxian starship, completely black with bright blue highlights.

Ratchet studied the clearing, smiling as Clank jumped off his back. "Yeah, it's not much," the other Lombax said nonchalantly as she started toward the cottage, "especially not to a bigshot hero like you, I'm sure. But it's home. Come on. I'll make you a cup of tea."

"'Bigshot hero?'" Ratchet repeated as he and his companion followed her.

"Yeah. You guys are all the Fongoids in the village near here were talking about for the longest time."

"There's a village near here?"

"Well..." She reached for the doorknob. "When I say 'near,' I mean it's about an hour's flight from here with these babies on full blast." She motioned to the flight system on her back. He smirked as she opened the door, motioning for him to enter.

As the two stepped inside, they looked around at the inside. Near the door was an end table with a coatrack near it, and just in front of them was the living room. In the center was a sofa and two comfortable-looking chairs around a dark wood coffee – the furniture was upholstered with soft animal fur, and sat on a round black fur rug that covered a good portion of the wooden floor. At the right side of the room, near the large bay window dominating most of the wall, was a long dark wood dining table with four matching chairs surrounding it. At the center of the table was a light blue ceramic vase with a beautiful array of flowers in it. The left side of the room served as the kitchen, where black granite counters lined most of the walls, wooden cabinets filled with plates and cups hung overhead, and a large wood fire stove with the chimney reaching up through the ceiling sat waiting to be used. On the far end of the kitchen was a set of two large wooden containers – one where she stored cured and salted meats, the other where she stored fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Just to the left of the door into the house was a tall bookcase lined with volumes upon volumes of varying literature. On the opposite side of the room was a stairway that led to a balcony with a door on either side, one to the left and one to the right.

She followed the two inside, closing the door tight behind her, and walked toward the kitchen. "Make yourselves at home," she said, rummaging through one of the cupboards until she found a teapot and a tea infuser. "Hope it's cozy enough for you two. I know it's simple, but it's warm and keeps the elements out."

"This is actually a nice little place you have here," Ratchet said, sitting himself down in one of the two chairs and Clank did the same.

"Thank you," she replied as she took some herbs to place in the infuser. "It's not for everyone. But it's perfect for me." She then took the teapot and walked back toward the door. "I'll be right back. Just got to go get some water quick." Ratchet nodded as she left. She quickly returned, lighting the stove and placing the teapot on to boil. "Alright then. Anything I can get either of you in the meantime?" she asked, walking over to them.

"Just answers to my questions," Ratchet said, looking curiously at her, "if you have them."

"Of course." She sat down on the couch across from the two chairs. "Ask away. I'll answer as best I can."

Ratchet furrowed his brow as he spoke. "Who are you? You never did tell me."

In response, she nodded. "Venus," she said simply. "My name is Venus."

He had expected a little more from her than that. "That's it?"

"That's...all I really know." She sighed, leaning back on the couch and crossing her legs. "I crashed here when I was just a baby. Just outside the village walls, in fact. A Fongoid woman found me in the wreckage. The only thing that was on me was a note with the word 'Venus' on it." She paused for a moment. "Well, that...and this." She took the bead around her neck in her hand, rolling it over between her thumb and index finger. "The woman who raised me always thought there was some kind of energy about it, and I feel it myself oftentimes, but I'm not sure of the significance of it."

"I suppose you grew up here then?"

She nodded. "It wasn't always pleasant, though."

Ratchet tilted his head in confusion. "Why's that?" he asked.

She chuckled as her ears dropped against the back of her head. "You don't remember what it was like being the odd one out as a kid?" He shrugged and shook his head. She stood up and walked toward the now whistling teapot, removing it from the stove as she spoke. "Either you've blocked out that memory or you never experienced it yourself. Lucky. I was harassed almost every day by my peers. It got so bad that I often thought I couldn't bear it anymore. All my life there, I only had one friend...but I don't see him much since I left the village. It's a long walk from there, and the jungle's dangerous. I sometimes go to visit him, but...I just can't bring myself to stay in that village. Too many bad memories, y'know?"

He nodded in understanding as she returned with two cups of hot tea, handing him one. "It's not easy being different, I know. But it seems like you turned out okay to me."

She laughed a little, her ears perking up again. "Thanks."

"So I'm guessing that's why you live all the way out here in the sticks?"

She nodded and shrugged. "Well, that too. But also because it makes me feel closer to nature." She noticed Ratchet's raised eyebrow and Clanks look of surprise. "I may be a Lombax, but that doesn't mean I necessarily have to be a gearhead. I'm much more at home alone in nature than I am in any settlement full of people. There's a certain peace and sense of fulfillment in the reverence of nature, being one with the world around you, that sort of thing. I know I probably sound nuts to you, but I've found it to be what's best for me."

Ratchet shrugged once again. "Doesn't sound nuts," he said. "Whatever makes you happy."

She raised an eyebrow as she continued. "Would it sound nuts to you if I told you I practice rituals?" she said. He remained silent. "And no, I don't mean turning people into frogs or sacrificing living things to some evil being. I mean I practice rituals and give offerings to maintain a connection between myself an nature. Pure and simple."

"Exactly how do you mean that?"

She got up and walked toward the bookshelf. "I'll show you," she said, getting up on a stepladder and digging through the shelves."See, I've done some extensive research on Lombax history and customs. Specifically that of the ancient Lombaxes, long before engineering was ever a thought in anyone's mind." She removed a couple of old leather-bound books from their shelves and returned to the couch, placing them on the coffee table between them. "You see," she began, opening the larger of the two, "the belief system of the ancient Lombaxes differed greatly from those of the contemporary. Thousands of years ago, and back even before then, the Lombaxes, like many other races, revered nature and the forces of the universe, and there was a god associated with each of the four elements – water, earth, fire, and air, as well as an additional god that ruled over all of them. They frequently performed various rituals and offerings in order to maintain their connection with their gods and, by extension, nature and the universe. I myself find that this belief system is the one that calls most to me, and so I maintain many of the traditions practiced thousands of years ago but long since abandoned." Ratchet looked at the page she had opened the book to. There were sketches of various runes and symbols, and and sketches of what he assumed were depictions of the ancient gods she had mentioned. He was about to speak, but she interrupted him. "Now then, I just have one question for you." He nodded, allowing her to continue. "What are you two doing here? Not that I mind having the company, but there's not really much for someone like you here, unless you've suddenly decided to live among the jungle."

"No, nothing like that," he chuckled. "Actually, we were forced here." She tilted her head a little. "Shot down. Our ship crashed back in the jungle."

"What?" she responded, her brow furrowing and ears flicking. "Who shot you down?"

"I don't know. The only thing we got was a transmission demanding we tell them where they could find someone who goes by the name 'the White Tigress."

"Oh, balls..." She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "I, uh... I'll fix up your ship somehow... Consider it reimbursement, since...y'know...you were shot down by the bastards hunting for me..."

Admittedly, he had the suspicion that this was the case – after all, she was a white Lombax with black stripes, and as such bore a striking resemblance to a white tiger – but he thought it best not to bring it up before. "I highly doubt you're going to be able to fix Aphelion..." he sighed. "Ship's completely trashed. There's no way she can be repaired."

"You only say that because you don't know me. But you know that ship sitting outside the house?" He nodded. "I'll tell you one thing, I didn't go down to some dealer and buy her. I built her myself. If I can build a Lombaxian starcruiser from scratch, trust me when I say I can fix up yours."

"You built that? How the heck did you manage that?"

"Simple. Lots of time, some tools traded from the Grummels, and a ridiculous amount of scrap parts scavenged from the jungle over the years."

"Impressive. Now, one more question." She sat and looked at him expectantly. "Why do those guys want to find you so badly?"

She laughed sheepishly and replied, "Well, that's kind of a funny story... And also a bit of a long one." She paused a moment before continuing. "First off, these things are creatures called the Shaar. They're a tyrannical, murderous reptilian race, but up until recently they've been operating mostly underground. But now they've grown bold. They're taking entire sectors under their rule and killing anyone who stands in their way. I've intercepted a few transmissions from them, and they all speak of something called the 'Heart.' I think I know what that is." She took the second, smaller book and opened it. "I think what they want is an ancient Lombax artifact." She handed the book to Ratchet. He studied the page carefully. There was a sketch of a large red gem surrounded by text in a language he couldn't understand. More runes were on the surface of the gem. "What is this thing?" he asked.

"It's called the Heart of the Dragon Leviathan, but it's mostly referred to as the Heart. Very few people know about it today. But the leader of the Shaar is one of those who do, and he wants it badly." Her expression and her voice turned grim. "His name is Xarnixx, and he's the cruelest of all his kind. On a good day, he'll murder hundreds in his search for the Heart; on his worst days, he'll take prisoners and torture them endlessly, whether they know about the Heart or not. He truly is a monster. That's why I've been preparing to leave for the last few days – to take the fight to him and all of his kind."

"What?" Ratchet shot up to his feet, shocked by what she said. "Venus, are you out of your mind? I just told you what one of these things did to us! And you're talking about taking on their leader and his entire race? It's suicide!"

"Maybe so," she replied, standing up and looking determined at him, "but someone has to do it. Someone has to stand up to this worthless bastard. He needs to be stopped. And this artifact, if it exists, cannot be allowed to fall into his clutches. I know more about this than anyone, even Xarnixx. I need to be the one to get the Heart before the Shaar do." She gathered up the books from the coffee table and returned them to the shelves from where she took them. "My original plan was to leave at dawn tomorrow, but...well, things seem to have taken a rather interesting turn, now that you've showed up. I'll stay long enough to get your ship back to working order. But after that, we'll have to part ways."

"No." Ratchet stepped toward her. "You're crazier than I thought if you think for a second I'm letting you do this alone." She furrowed her brow in confusion. "You can't take on an entire murderous army of these brutes alone."

"You think so, huh? I've taken on plenty of their kind before. That's why they're after me. Any of them stop in this area, and they _might_ have just enough time to mention me in a transmission before I rend their heads from their shoulders."

"You might have experience with smaller forces. But try taking on an entire armada. I can practically guarantee you won't last five minutes."

"I won't need five minutes," she growled as she stepped down from the ladder. "But this is my burden to bear. I can't, in good conscience, allow you to get involved. You've already nearly been killed, and that was before you were even associated with me."

"Do you honestly think you can save the universe alone?" She paused for a moment, looking pensive. "I've done this sort of thing before, and never have I ever done it alone. And I don't think I could. Trust me, you need help. It's impossible to take on an entire army alone."

She stayed silent for a moment, trying to think up an argument, but eventually she sighed in defeat. "You're not gonna give up on this, are you?" she said, looking up at him.

"You learn quick, I'll give you that much."

She winced and gritted her teeth. "I just know I'm going to regret this..." she muttered under her breath. "Fine. I...accept your offer. But for the love of the gods, if things get bad, you run, especially if I tell you to, got it?"

"That all depends on the circumstance."

"You are one stubborn son of a bitch." He snickered at her response. "Just...please...try not to get yourself killed."

"No worries there," he replied, smiling.

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm so going to regret this," she repeated, walking back toward the coffee table. She picked up her cup of tea and continued, "We should probably get some sleep. I'm going to have to get your ship back here and start fixing her up tomorrow. I want to start early so we can get it done as soon as possible."

"You still want to fix my ship, even though I'm coming with you?" he replied, stepping towards her as Clank jumped down from his chair.

"I think it'd be best if we traveled separately. I'll tell you all about the plan tomorrow. But for now, you two should rest. You've had a long day, I'm sure." She started toward the stairs. "Guest room's just up the stairs and to the right. We'll leave to get your ship at dawn, then bring it back here."

He nodded as he and Clank followed her up the stairs, turning toward the room on the right. "If you're not up on time, I'll make sure you wake up, okay?" she laughed as she entered the room on the left.

"Alright," Ratchet chuckled. "Good night."

She bid him goodnight and closed the door behind her. Once he and Clank were both in the guest room, he did the same. The room was simple – a large bed with furs and a green woven blanket on it for warmth and pillowed made from animal pelts; a nightstand to the left of the bed with an unused oil lamp sitting on it; a wooden dresser to the left of the door sitting in front of a window with green drapes; and a cushioned wooden chair sitting near the bed.

Ratchet walked wearily toward the bed, leaning his wrench up against the nightstand. "Been a while since we've had a day this weird," he said, flopping down on the bed as Clank jumped up onto the chair. "I mean, another Lombax is enough of a shocker – now she's talking about some ancient artifact and gods of nature... I don't know about you, but this is a lot for me to wrap my head around."

"It certainly is different from what we normally have to deal with," Clank responded. "But she does seem to know what she is talking about."

"Yeah..." All the same, it was all rather shocking for him. "I suppose we probably should get some rest. She's right, we've got a big day tomorrow." As Clank settled himself into the chair, Ratchet buried himself under the warmth of the covers. The softness of the furs was rather comforting, and he soon found it difficult to keep his eyes open. He bid Clank goodnight, and he drifted off to sleep as the moonlight and sounds of the creatures of the night poured in through the window.


End file.
